The invention relates to an inlet air arrangement for a piston engine.
It has been proposed to use a suction air intercooler after a supercharger apparatus, especially in a supercharged engine, for intensifying operation. By cooling the air, the density of the air increases and thus for a given volume flow rate the mass flow rate of the air increases and a greater mass of oxygen is provided for the combustion process. Typically this has been implemented in such a way that suction or intake air is led from the supercharger apparatus to a separate intercooler, in which the air is cooled. From the intercooler, air is led further along the suction air channel to a suction air chamber defined by an air intake manifold, which is attached to the engine and extends over substantially the entire length of the engine. Air is led from the suction air chamber to the combustion cylinders through separate channels.
Publications U.S. Pat. Nos. 3881455 and 3091228 have proposed solutions in which the need of space of the engine can be reduced by integrating the intercooler with the suction air chamber. However, these solutions are defective in so far as neither the suction air flow nor its cooling is uniform.
An objective of the invention is to provide a piston engine suction air arrangement, which minimizes the problems of the prior art. A specific objective of the invention is to provide a piston engine suction air arrangement, by which the cooling and feeding of the suction air is controlled and adequate especially in large engines.